Key Highlights:

  • Raveena Tandon clarified that "Aaja Gufaon Mein Aa" was never intended as a horror song, despite common modern portrayals.
  • She praised contestant Geetanjali and choreographer Anuradha's semi-final performance on "India's Best Dancer 5" as "flawless," but had one complaint.
  • Raveena said choreographers today often give the song a "bhayanak" (terrifying) makeover, when it was originally about women's power.
  • She credited original choreographer Raju Subramaniam's vision, describing the song as beautiful rather than negative.
  • "India's Best Dancer" Season 5 airs on Sony Entertainment Television and streams on Sony LIV.

Setting the Record Straight on a Misunderstood Classic

Actress Raveena Tandon has shared that the song "Aaja Gufaon Mein Aa" is not a horror song, as opposed to popular opinion and the sentiment often associated with it in contemporary performances.

A Standout Performance on 'India's Best Dancer'

The actress appeared on the latest episode of the dance reality show "India's Best Dancer" season 5, a semi-final episode promising powerful performances, high-stakes moments and memorable acts. Among the standout performances, contestant Geetanjali and choreographer Anuradha took the stage with a captivating act set to the iconic songs "Aaja Gufaon Mein Aa" and "Ye Raat," leaving the judges and special guest Raveena Tandon visibly impressed.

Praise With a Single Reservation

While Raveena called the performance "flawless," she raised one specific complaint about the performance and its portrayal of the song's tone.

Raveena's Detailed Explanation

Speaking about her concern, the actress shared, "Ye bachche itne khubsurat hain, mujhe ek hi complaint hai poore performance se. Otherwise, mere liye yeh performance flawless tha, par ek complaint hai, itni khubsurat bachchi ko tumne itna bhayanak kyun banaya? Kyunki aap dekhenge, actually ye ek horror song nahi tha. Jo main aaj ke zamaane mein dekhti hoon, mostly choreographers jab recreate karte hain iss gaane ko, isko ek horror format dete hain. Yeh gaana actually bahut hi khubsurat gaana hai jis tarike se gaya gaya hai" (These children are so beautiful, I have only one complaint about the entire performance. Otherwise, for me, this performance was flawless, but I have one complaint: why did you make such a beautiful girl look so terrifying? Because you will see, actually this was not a horror song. What I see in today's time is that mostly choreographers, when they recreate this song, give it a horror format. This song is actually a very beautiful song the way it has been sung).

The Song's Original Intent

Raveena continued, elaborating on what she believes the song was originally meant to represent. "Aisa koi aur gaana kabhi nahi hua. So I always look for that in the song, Raju Subramaniam ji ne kiya tha choreography, wo ek women power ke baare mein hai" (There's never been another song like this. Raju Subramaniam did the choreography. It is about women power). "It doesn't have to be negative in that," she added, pushing back specifically against the trend of associating the song with fear or horror imagery rather than its intended theme of female empowerment.

Why This Clarification Matters

Raveena's comments touch on a broader pattern in how older Bollywood songs are sometimes reinterpreted by later generations of choreographers and performers, occasionally drifting from their original creative intent as new stylistic trends take over. Given that Raveena herself has a direct connection to the song's era and original context, her clarification carries particular weight as a firsthand correction of what she sees as a persistent misreading of the song's tone and message.

Where to Watch

"India's Best Dancer" season 5 is available on Sony Entertainment Television and Sony LIV, giving audiences the opportunity to watch Raveena's guest appearance and her reflections on the performance alongside the season's ongoing semi-final proceedings.